Vietnamese chicken pho with poached chicken thigh, ginger and star anise broth, rice noodles, Thai basil and lime. The Stockton Boulevard corridor's lighter-bodied pho sibling.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
Pho ga, the chicken version of Vietnamese beef pho, traveled to Sacramento with the Stockton Boulevard Vietnamese community after 1975 and became the lighter daytime alternative to pho bo at every counter on the strip. The Sacramento pho ga uses Central Valley free-range chicken simmered for two hours with charred ginger, charred onion and a smaller spice bag than the beef version, lighter on cloves and heavier on coriander. Pho Momma on Folsom Boulevard near Stockton earned a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand for its pho, and the chicken version is the late-morning order across the corridor. The pho ga garnish plate runs the same as for beef pho: bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime, sliced chillies and sometimes a side of saw-tooth herb the beef version skips.
Common allergens: Wheat, Soy
Tip from the editors. Keep the broth barely simmering, never boiling, or it will turn cloudy. Reserve the carcass after pulling the meat and return it to the simmer for the last 30 minutes to extract more flavor.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Why locals love it: Strip-mall Vietnamese counter on Folsom Boulevard that earned a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand for pho with house pork wontons.
Tip: Walk-in only. Thursday to Sunday 11:00 to 20:30. House pork wontons in the beef broth.
Pho Bac Hoa Viet on Stockton Boulevard in South Sacramento opened 1991 as the city's defining pho counter, the family operation across Sacramento sites.
Try: Pho, banh mi, Vietnamese rice noodle soup
Pho Saigon on Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento Vietnamese corridor serves long-simmered beef pho under $15, the neighborhood counter open daily.
Try: Beef pho and Vietnamese coffee
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